Incidence of cervical disease associated to HPV in human immunodeficiency infected women under highly active antiretroviral therapy

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Women infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) may be at higher risk of developing cervical cancer than non infected women. In a pilot study, we assessed the relationships among cervical cytology abnormalities associated to Human Papillomavirus (HPV), HIV infection and Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapy (HAART) on the development of Squamous Intraepithelial lesions (SILs). Out of the 70 HIV infected women from Douala -Cameroon (Central Africa) that we included in the study, half (35) were under HAART. After obtaining information related to their lifestyle and sexual behaviour, cervicovaginal samples for Pap smears and venous blood for CD4 count were collected and further divided into two groups based upon the presence or absence of cervical cytology abnormalities i.e. those with normal cervical cytology and those with low and high Squamous Intraepithelial lesions (LSIL, HSIL).</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Assessment was done according to current antiretroviral regimens available nationwide and CD4 count. It was revealed that 44.3% of HIV-infected women had normal cytology. The overall prevalence of LSIL and HSIL associated to HPV in the studied groups was 24.3% (17/70) and 31.4% (22/70) respectively. Among the 22 HSIL-positive women, 63.6% (14/22) were not on antiretroviral therapy, while 36.4% (8/22) were under HAART. HIV infected women under HAART with positive HSIL, showed a median CD4+ T cell count of 253.7 +/- 31.7 higher than those without therapy (164.7 +/- 26.1). The incidence of HSIL related to HPV infection within the study group independently of HAART initiation was high.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>These results suggest the need for extension and expansion of the current study in order to evaluate the incidence of HPV infection and cervical cancer among HIV-infected and non HIV- infected women in Cameroon.</p

Control of SHIV-89.6P-infection of cynomolgus monkeys by HIV-1 Tat protein vaccine

Vaccine strategies aimed at blocking virus entry have so far failed to induce protection against heterologous viruses. Thus, the control of viral infection and the block of disease onset may represent a more achievable goal of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) vaccine strategies. Here we show that vaccination of cynomolgus monkeys with a biologically active HIV-1 Tat protein is safe, elicits a broad (humoral and cellular) specific immune response and reduces infection with the highly pathogenic simian-human immunodeficiency virus (SHIV)-89.6P to undetectable levels, preventing the CD4+ T-cell decrease. These results may provide new opportunities for the development of a vaccine against AIDS